First Advisor

David Hydock

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Document Type

Thesis

Date Created

5-1-2021

Department

College of Natural and Health Sciences, Biological Sciences, Biological Sciences Student Work

Abstract

With close to sixty percent of Americans either already diagnosed with a chronic illness, or likely to face this issue in their future, finding a long-term solution is a public health necessity. Practicing sports regularly has been recommended by associations such as the World Health Organization for years, as a preventive measure to keep people healthy. CrossFit™ is a sport that was created in 2000, with the purpose to train participants in functional movements, often referred to as “functional fitness”, to ensure that people are able to remain healthy, and could be a solution to the chronic illness problem. This present study investigates the potential health benefits of practicing CrossFit at least twice a week, both physically and mentally through the use of a survey, administered to members of a Greeley, CO gym, CrossFit Helix. Responses were analyzed using correlation analyses, as well as simple percentage calculations. While the results showed no significant correlation between the studied factors, they did show that the vast majority of participants could be deemed healthy per national guidelines. Additionally, most if not all participants did report an improvement in body positivity and/or well-being associated with their CrossFit practice. These results would suggest that practicing CrossFit could lead to better overall health; however, more research targeting a broader audience and investigating more factors is needed to come to a true conclusion about this sport’s health effects.

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

Download

Share

COinS